"I think we often assume that if only other individuals were more like us—strong and alert achievers—complacency would not be an issue. Or we think that the people are, for the most part, pretty smart, so all you have to do is give them the facts about poor product quality, sliding financial results, or lack of productivity growth. In both cases, **we underestimate the power of the subtle and systemic forces that exist in virtually all organizations**. A good rule of thumb in a major change effort is: **Never underestimate the magnitude of the forces that reinforce complacency and that help maintain the status quo.**" --- **Tags** -- [[quotes]], [[responding-to-change]], [[systems-thinking]], [[influence]], [[defensive-decision-making]] **Source** -- [[20250320103315 - B - Leading Change]]